August 16, 2017

Many businesses in Greater Victoria say they’re having trouble attracting and retaining workers because of a lack of affordable housing.

According to Chemistry Consulting, in a new survey involving 250 businesses in the capital region, 78 per cent of respondents reported having trouble recruiting for entry-level positions, 42 per cent said it was difficult to hire middle managers and 24 per cent indicated senior management positions were challenging to fill.

The main reason, according to respondents, was the cost and availability of housing.

“The economy’s booming right now but this is not sustainable,” said Frank Bourree, partner at Chemistry Consulting. “If we can’t bring in enough workers, it will constrain growth in the Greater Victoria area.”